Wow – what a scorcher! Los Labores, Taberno, was the destination for today’s Hot Hash House Harriers… as temperatures hit 38 degrees.

Almost 20 hashers (and one dog, Bandit) piled onto the terrace at the home of Flat Note and Screw on The Loose… casting furtive looks at each other, wondering if we were indeed all insane for attempting a hash in such high temperatures.

The runners dashed off with whistles and shouts, disturbing a quiet Sunday morning in the sleepy countryside. The walkers followed a slightly different route and certainly at a more sedate pace. Not sure what it is about the area but half the houses seemed to have German Shepherd dogs. Was their a cheap deal going at Lidl or something?

It really was a scorcher, so everyone took it fairly gently and made sure they were topped up with water throughout. We may be stupid, but we’re not THAT stupid!!

Back to the casa in Taberno where the Hot Hash House Harriers huddled under the car pergola for a break from the sun and tucked into some well earned drinks and snacks.

The hares were Flat Notes and Screw on The Loose. After moaning about the short measures of beer, the hashers told the hares how rubbish the hash was. Everyone sang a song before Flat Notes complained that the beer was too cold, therefore difficult to swallow. No pleasing some people. It didn’t go well for her though, as she was told to remain in the circle and receive and extra beer shot for a perverse watering of the campo.

Screw on The Loose was marched back in the circle again for not using the correct hash name. He was closely followed by Slot Machine for bad eyesight. Despite her best efforts to persuade others that the reason she wasn’t wearing shorts was because she hadn’t shaved her legs, a visit to Specsavers was suggested as other hashers couldn’t see any of the said hairs.

Wallace was next in line for ridicule. After arriving at the hash venue, he had mistaken a stuffed cat ornament for the real thing. To be fair, the fluffy imposter had drawn some second glance from many others… but Wallace was the only one who got up close and personal with it… and was horrified when Big Trotter gave it a poke.

Petal enjoyed a moment of mistaken identity when Two Hats accused him of sitting down on the hash. After his vehement denials he still felt it was only fair to take one for the team and downed a beer anyway. He was quickly followed by Key Fob who received a dressing down for over elaborate attention-seeking regarding way marks.

Last on the list was R Sogler who received a dressing down for receiving a phone call on the hash. You wouldn’t take a phone call in church on a Sunday, so it shouldn’t be done on a hash either. And that’s where the similarities between hashing and churchgoing end.